Keyboard-operating apparatus for musical instruments



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' F. A. WALLACE.

KEYBOARD OPERATING APPARATUS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 579,201. Patented Mar.23,1897.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. A. WALLACE. KEYBOARD OPERATING APPARATUS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 579,201. Patented Man 2s, 1897.

UNITED STaTns FiTisNT muon.

FRANCIS A. lVAliln/lCE, 0F VUAYNFSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

KEYBOARD-OPERATlNG APPARATUS FOR MUSICAL iNSTliUIllENTS.

SPECIFCATN forming part of Letters atent No. 579,201, dated March 23, 1897.

Application filed June 16, 1896. Serial No. 595,784, (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.'

Beit known that I, FRANCIS A. WALLACE, a citizen of the United States, residing` at lVaynesburg, in the county of Greene and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Keyboard- Operating Apparatus for Musical Instruments, of which the Yi'ollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to a keyboard-oporating apparatus for musical inslru ments, such as organs and pianos; and the object in view is to provide means for applying a yielding or cushioned pressure to the keys of an instrument, whereby the operation ot' the keys is similar to that produced by manual pressure; to provide means for varying the tension ol' the key-levers to suit resistance otlered b y the keys of the instrument; to provide means whereby the apparatus may be arranged in different positions with relation to the keyboard to vary the scale of the performance, and to provide simple and efficient means for operating the apparatus.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the Vfollowing description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a keyboard-operating apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention applied to an organ. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 3 of Fig. 2 to show the means for communicating motion to the key-levers. Fig. et is a detail view in perspective of the means for communicating rotary motion to and shitting the cylinder. Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective of one of the operating-levers detached. Fig. 6 is a similar view of one ofthe pressurebuttons and the contiguous portion of the key-lever.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin all the figures of the drawings.

The key-levers l, which are adapted for depressing the keys of the instrument, are preferablyt'ulcrumed in a frame 2 by means of a pivot-pin 3, and in order to economize space the inner members of the series may overlap, as indicated in Fig. 2. The rear or inner ends of the key-levers are connected by means of d raw-wires -fl with the superjacent extrem ities ol' intermediately-fulcrnmed operating-levers 5, of which the extremities of the short arms are arranged in the paths of the pins or projections on tue cylinder n. The operatinglevers are preferably reduced to adapt them to yield when strained by the engagement of a pin or projection of the cylinder, and the extremities ot' the key-levers, which are held elevated by the keys of the instrument, are pressed downwardly to counteract a portion of the resistance of the keys by means of tension-springs 7, connected to an adjusting' roller or drum 8, mounted parallel with the axis ol`v the cylinder and held at the desired adjustment by means of a removable pin 9, adapted to be engaged with one of a plurality of sockets l0 in said roller or drum.

lt is desired to adjust the tension oi the springs te provide for the depression of the keys by a slight pressure upon the short arms of the operating-levers, and hence the necessity for employing resilient connections between the cylinder and the operating extremities et the key-levers; but in order to secure uniform pressure of the keylevers upon the keys even when the resistance offered by the keys is not uniform l employ pressure-cushions ll on the Afree ends ol the keylevers, provided with threaded stems l2, mounted in the key-levers and provided at their upper extremities with heads or thumbwheels 13. rFhis provision of adjustable pressure cushions or but-tons enables me also to adjust the device to any desired position with relation to the keyboard of the in strument and suit the different elevations of the white and black keys at the given adjustment. For instance, the levers which are employed to depress the white keys at one adjustment of the apparatus may be arranged in operative relation with the black keys at another ad justment, and inasmuch as the black keys are elevated above the plane of the white keys it is necessary to change the adjustment of the pressure cushions or buttons to cause the desired pressure upon all of the keys.

The cylinder is mounted in a rocking frame la, in which it is held by means of terminal spindles l5 and 1G to removably secure the cylinder in place, the spindle l5 being connected with operatin g devices, while the spin- IOO dle 16 is capable of longitudinal movement and is provided with an aetuatin g-sprin g 17 to hold it normally in position for engagement With a socket in the end of the cylinder.

In the construction illustrated the means for communicating motion to the operatingspindle of the cylinder include a driven shaft 1S, having a Worm 19, which meshes with a worm-gear 2O on said spindle, and a pulley 21 or its equivalent secured to the driven shaft, the pulley being traversed by a belt 22. In order to provide for shifting` the cylinder longitudinally at the end of each complete operation thereof, l employ a cam 23, pivotally mounted upon a fixed bracket 21 and having a slot 25, through which extends the spindle, said cam being held in its normal position by means of a spring 26. The operating-spindle is fed longitudinally by means of a feed-screw 27, meshing with a stationary feed member 28, and the cam is depressed to th rou7 the rocking frame forward sulliciently to disengage the feed-screw from the stationary feed member by means of the engagement of a trip-arm 29 on the spindle with a lateral lug 30 on said cam when the cylinder reaches the limit of its movement in the direction in which it is moved by the feed-screw.

Any suitable means for Communicatingmotion to the belt may be employed, such as a drivingshaft 3 mounted upon pendent brackets 32 and having a belt-pulley 33, said driving-shaft being provided with a hand- Wheel 31. I have also shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 a belt connecting the pulley 21 with a driving-pulley 35 on a spindle 3G, to which is adapted to be attached an operating-crank 37.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings the drivin g-shaft is provided with cranks 38, connected by pitmen 39 with the foottreadles 40 of an organ. The means for securing the easing to the frame of the instrument consists of a clamp 41.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages ot this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. ln a device of the class described, the combination of key-levers adapted to bear upon instru ment-keys and designed to be elevated to their normal positions by said keys, yielding means for depressing the key-levers to neutralize a portion of the resistance of the keys, yielding or resilient operating-levers connected respectively with the key-levers, and means for actuating the operating-levers to depress the free ends of the key-levers, ubstantially as specilied.

ln a device ol' the class described, the combination of key-levers adapted to bear upon instrument-keys and designed to be elcvated to their normal positions by said keys, yielding means for depressing the key-levers to neutralize a portion of the resistance of the keys, yielding or resilient operating-levers connected respectively with the key-levers, and an aetuating-cylinder having pins or projeetions to engage the extremities of the operating-levers, whereby the extremities of the key-levers are forcibly depressed to actuate the keys, substantially as specified.

3. In a device ol' the class described, the combination of key-levers adapted to bear upon instrument-keys and designed to be elevated to their normal positions by said keys, tension-springs for depressing the key-levers to neutralize a portion cf the resistance of the keys, a drum to which the tension-springs are attached, means for securing the drum at the desired adjustment, whereby the tension of the springs may be made proportionate to the resistance of the keys, and means for communicating motion to the operating-levers to depress the keys against the unneutralized portion of their resistance, substantially as specified.

ln testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto affixed my signature in the presence ol two witnesses.

FRANCIS A. XVALLACE. Vitnesses:

JOHN A. Moons, J. L. Woon. 

